Toy mixer

ABSTRACT

A toy food mixer has a pair of mixer elements extending from a hand-held housing containing a spring action driving mechanism operated by a push button at the top of the housing.

ates

Waak Aug. 6, 1974 [54] TOY MIXER 2,430,600 11/1947 B00111 416/69 1 Invent GeraIdA- Waak, Maniwwoci 5:252:33? 551323 5213?: 3311;111:3133: 312/54? 73 Assigneez Auminum Specialty Company, 3,330,539 7/1967 Lurski 416/241 Manitowoc7 Wis. 3,724,971 4/1973 Yazawa 416/77 [22] Filed: Sept. 11, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS ..'4 24 M [2 1 App]. No: 287,762 957,764 5/1964 Great Brnam 6/ 3 Primary Examiner-Everette A. Powell, Jr. [52] U.S. CI. 416/69, 46/14 Assistant Examiner-Louis T. Casaregola [51] Int. Cl A47j 43/10, A47j 43/07, A63h 3/52 Attorney, Agent, or FirmEdmond T. Patnaude [58] Field of Search 416/69, 241 A, 227, 77;

46/14, 39; 259/1 A, DIG. 35 57 ABSTRACT [561 memes $11.2":1513111315321322125125313123? r UNITED STATES PATENTS tion driving mechanism operated by a push button at 1,736,542 11/1929 Madigan 416/69 the top f the housing 1,813,862 7/1931 Madigan 416/69 2,161,867 6/1939 Kessel 416/227 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures TOY MIXER The present invention relates in general to a spring action hand-held toy mixer, and it relates more particularly to a new and improved toy mixer which has the general appearance of a portable, electrically driven mixer, which may be operated by young children and which is economical to manufacture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is well known that all people, but especially children, are attracted by and enjoy toys which realistically simulate common functioning utilitarian devices. Girls, particularly, enjoy playing with these types of toys which look and operate much the same as the kitchen appliances found in the home. However, most such appliances, such, for example, as hand mixers, are electrically operated and, therefore, simple replicas are not suitable for use by children as toys.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the above and further objects may be realized in accordance with the present invention by providing a toy mixer having a spring loaded push button for driving a pair of beaters in a first direction and for loading a spring which, upon release of the push button, drives the beater assembly in a second direction and is then automatically disconnected from the actuating button to permit the beater elements to rotate freely in said second direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Further objects and advantages and a better understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a toy mixer embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical section of the forward portion of the mixer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the gear box assembly taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Referring now to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, the toy mixer of the present invention comprises a housing 2 of split construction from which depends a beater assembly 3 including a pair of beater elements 4. The housing 2 is formed by a pair of plastic housing parts 5 and 6 suitably secured together by a plurality of screws 7. An elongated hand opening 8 is provided near the top of the housing 2 and a spring loaded push rod 9 protrudes upwardly through a hole 10 in the top of the housing forward of the opening 8 for vertical reciprocation by the childs thumb. As described in detail hereinafter, the rod 9 is connected through a gear and clutch assembly to the beater assembly 3 for rotating the beater elements 4.

The beater elements 4 are identical and respectively include a shaft 13 on which a disc 14 is fixedly mounted. Three radial slots 15 are provided in the disc 14 for receiving the upper ends on the blade portions 16 ofa resilient plastic member 17. The member 17 has a central hub portion which is apertured to fit over the shaft 13, and a tapered sleeve 18 is slidably fitted on the shaft 3 between the hub and the disc 14. A multiple head 19 at the bottom of the shafts 13 is fixed to the bottom end portions of both of the shafts 13 to maintain the beater in assembled condition and also to pro vide permanent spacing of the beaters. Being relatively flexible, the blades are readily assembled to the disc 14 by twisting them and inserting the ends through the slots 15. Notches, not visible in the drawing, are provided on the edges of the blades 16 near the distal ends to permit twisting of the blades into the positions shown in FIG. 1 wherein they lie substantially perpendicular to the slots 15.

Considering the driving mechanism and with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a gear box 20 is fixedly mounted in the forward bottom portion of the housing and has a forwardly extending flange 21 apertured to receive a collar 22 which receives the lower end of the push rod 9. The lower end portion of the rod 9 is of reduced diameter to provide a shoulder 23 against which the upper end of a coil spring 24 abuts. The spring 24 is slidably disposed over the reduced diameter portion of the rod 9 and the bottom thereof abuts against the collar 22 to spring bias the rod 9 into the uppermost posi tion. Preferably, the rod 9 is a plastic molded part having an integral rack 26 extending laterally therefrom for operative engagement with the gear mechanism mounted in the gear box 20. Rotation of the rod 9 and the rack 26 is prevented by means of a pair of vertical ribs 27 and 28 which extend inwardly from the housing parts 5 and 6 into longitudinal slots 29 and 30 in the rod 9. The upper ends of the slots 29 and 30 provide stops for limiting the upward movement of the rod 9.

In its upper position as shown in FIG. 1, the rack 26 is out of engagement with the gear train and when moved downwardly by depression of the rod 9 it mates with a pinion gear 32 fixed to a spur gear 33. The gears 32 and 33 are rotatably mounted in a shaft 34 supported near its ends in front and rear walls 35 and 36 of the gear box 20. The gear 33 mates with a gear 37 fixedly mounted on a shaft 38 joumalled near its ends in punched holes in the walls 35 and 36. A pair of crown gears 40 and 41 are also fixed to the shaft 38 and respectively mate with a pair of pinion gears 42 mounted on the beater shafts 13. The shafts 13 extend alongside the front and rear walls of the gear box 20 into horizontally extending tabs 43 and the pinions 42 extend through rectangular openings in these walls into engagement with the crown gears 40 and 41 which are entirely disposed within the gear box.

OPERATION In use, the child holds the mixer in one hand with his thumb on the top of the rod 9. He then depresses the rod to compress the spring 24. During this motion the beater elements slowly rotate inasmuch as the rod is generally depressed slowly. When released, however, the spring expands to drive the beater elements more quickly in the opposite direction. When the rack moves upwardly to the released position, it moves out of engagement with the pinion 32 whereby the gears in the gear train and the beater elements rotate freely until stopped by friction. Hence, when the mixeris operated with the beaters in a liquid, the beaters are rotated primarily during the depression stroke since a substantial force may be exerted thereon. On the other hand, when the beaters are not immersed they will rotate quite rapidly during the return stroke of the rack.

While the present invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may make many changes and modifications without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A hand toy mixer, comprising a housing having an upper handle portion and a lower main body portion,

said housing having an elongated finger receiving opening between said handle and body portions defined by spaced apart front and rear upright leg portions of said housing,

a pair of rotatable shafts mounted within said body portion and extending downwardly from said housmg,

beater means mounted on the lower end portion of each of said shafts,

means including a pinion gear mounted within said body portion for rotating said beater means,

a push rod slidably mounted in said front leg portion and having a rack mounted thereon for driving engagement with said pinion gear when said rod is de pressed,

spring means disposed in said housing for urging said rod into an uppermost position with the upper end extending upwardly through an opening in said housing above said front leg portion. said rack being disengaged from said pinion when said rod is in said uppermost position,

a gear box having oppositely disposed sidewalls,

a pair of crown gears mounted in said gear box facing said sidewalls,

said walls being respectively slotted adjacent the teeth of said crown gears,

a pair of pinion gears mounted to said shafts extending through said slots into engagement with said crown gears,

the lower edges of said slots holding said shafts in said housing with said pinion gears in mating engagement with said crown gears,

whereby said mixer may be held and operated with one hand by depressing said rod with the thumb while holding said handle with the fingers.

2. A hand toy mixer according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of longitudinal slots in said push rod, and

a plurality of vertical ribs integral with said front leg portion of said housing extending into said slots to prevent rotation of said rod to maintain said rack in alignment with said pinion gear. 

1. A hand toy mixer, comprising a housing having an upper handle portion and a lower main body portion, said housing having an elongated finGer receiving opening between said handle and body portions defined by spaced apart front and rear upright leg portions of said housing, a pair of rotatable shafts mounted within said body portion and extending downwardly from said housing, beater means mounted on the lower end portion of each of said shafts, means including a pinion gear mounted within said body portion for rotating said beater means, a push rod slidably mounted in said front leg portion and having a rack mounted thereon for driving engagement with said pinion gear when said rod is depressed, spring means disposed in said housing for urging said rod into an uppermost position with the upper end extending upwardly through an opening in said housing above said front leg portion, said rack being disengaged from said pinion when said rod is in said uppermost position, a gear box having oppositely disposed sidewalls, a pair of crown gears mounted in said gear box facing said sidewalls, said walls being respectively slotted adjacent the teeth of said crown gears, a pair of pinion gears mounted to said shafts extending through said slots into engagement with said crown gears, the lower edges of said slots holding said shafts in said housing with said pinion gears in mating engagement with said crown gears, whereby said mixer may be held and operated with one hand by depressing said rod with the thumb while holding said handle with the fingers.
 2. A hand toy mixer according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of longitudinal slots in said push rod, and a plurality of vertical ribs integral with said front leg portion of said housing extending into said slots to prevent rotation of said rod to maintain said rack in alignment with said pinion gear. 